Inclined-railway apparatus



'F. P. SCHOBERQLIE.

INCLINED RAILWAY APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE'ZI, 1924.

1,438,266. Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

mam

ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 12, T1922.

insist FEEDEICK P. SSH8313333 11311, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

INCLINED-RAILWAY APPARATUS.

ap lication filed June 21, 1921. Serial s. 479,419.

vented a certain new and useful Inclined- Railway Apparatus, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to inclined railways and the cars therefor, and the objects of my invention are: first, to provide an inclined railway, and cars to be used in connection therewith, of novel construction and arrangement; second, to provide an inclined railway, and cars to be used in connection therewith, in which the rails are provided with teeth members adapted to be engaged by traction wheels of cars or carriages rolling thereon; third, to provide inclined railways in which the teeth of the track are so constructed that they may be positioned on one or. bot-hsides of the rail and secured to the web thereof so that they maybe placed on the rail in any location as desired; fourth, to provide a car with tract-ion wheels which are adapted to roll onthe face of the rail under ordinary circumstances and provided with lugs with rollers adapted to engage the teeth of the rackformed by the inclined surfaces for,

teeth members. on I carrying the car over inclined surfaces; fifth, to provide cars that are so constructed that the power is distributed so that there is even torque on the rail caused by the traction of the car; sixth, to provide an apparatus of this class whereby railways may be made in any type desired such as overhead railways, monorails and double rails of rigid or flexible construction as desired and propelled by any kind of power desired; seventh, to provide tracks which may be plain over level or practically level surfaces but on inclines may be provided with gear racks so that the car will mount a steep incline without difficulty and eighth, to provide an apparatus of this class which is simple and economical or" construction, applicable for use in connection with various types and makes of railways, easy to repair andto replace worn parts, easy to operate, and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order, and in which the railway may be constructed with a minimum of expense for level or inclined surfaces. or ineluding both; a

With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter de scribed in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawingsand to 'the.

characters of reference thereonwhich form apart or" this application, in which:

Figure l isa perspective, view of a single or monorail structure of the suspended type showing the car or carriage in one form positioned thereon and ready for use. Fig. 2 is a sectional view ofthe track and itssupport on an enlarged scale and showing an end elevational view of a fragmentary portion of the car. Fig. 3 is a. perspective view of. one ofthe gearteeth members on an enlarged scale shown separate from "the track. Fig. 4 is a similar view and showing one of the wheel rollers 8 in its relative operative position in connection therewith. Fig. 5 is a fra mentary front elevational view of one of the supporting car wheels.

Fig. 6 is a perspective fragmentary view of one side of said wheelsshow ng the roller and its supporting members separated therefrom. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a double. rail structure and showing the car in a slightly modified form from thatof Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawinqs and showing the structure in suspended form also for overhead railways and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a double track of the ordinary form positioned on the ground and constructed for use as an inclined railway and showing the traction wheels and their operating motor in slightly modified form in operativeposition thereon.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawings.

The track 1, gear. teeth members 2, sup porting bracket 3-, upright supports 4, wheels 5, frame 6, lower supporting rollers 7 gear teeth engaging rollers 8, motors 9, sprockets 10, chainsll and carriage member 12, constitute the principal parts and portions of my inclined railway apparatus in one form. The rail lmay be of the. ordinary type but is preferably provided with a roundfaceat the top and bottom for the monorail type as shown best in Fig.2. This rail 1 is prefer ably suspended upon uprights .4 upon the lower ends of which are secured brackets 3 which extend laterally therefrom and to which the web of the rail is secured by means of bolts or rivets as desired, thus providing; clearance for the flanges of the wheels and rollers on opposite sides particularly on the top side. This track is plain on each side except that on inclined surfaces it is provided on both sides preferably, on the monorail typerwith teeth members as shown best in Figs. 3 and l-ct the drawings which are rectangularly shaped members provided with holes 2 therein adapted to pass through the web oi the rail and the top and bottom sides rest securely against the upper and lower flanges of the rail and between said flanges as shown best in 1 7 and 8 of the drawings. These members 2 are spaced an equal distance apart and each provided with an outwardly extending lug portion 2 which is in the form of a tooth for a ack with downwardly diverging curvec surfaces adapted for engagement of the rollers S with the side surfaces of said lug portion 2 The relative position of said rollers and the teeth being shown best in Fig. i of the drawings. Mounted on the upper face oi the track 1 is a pair of spaced apart wheels 5, each provided with amiddle circular portion 5 adapted to roll upon the upper face of the track as shown best in "s. 2 and 5 of the drawings and oft-ending outwardly on opposite sides are flange portions 5" which extend downwardly a considerable distance over the upper "flange of the rail 1. These flange members 5 are provided on their outer surfaces with extended double lup; members 5 and 5 as shown best in l? 6 of the drawings. The members 5 anc 5 extend sideways from the flange portions 5" and these lug members are provided with holes adapted for the bolt 5 upon which are mounted sleeves 5 bet-ween the lug members 5 and 5 and rerolubly mounted on these sleeves are the rollers 8. Mounted on the axles of the wheels 5 is a frame 6 which extends upwardly over the wheels 5 then downwardly on one side past the lower side of the rail. then upwardly again and serves as axle for the roller 7 which is preterably spool shaped, adapted to engage the lower surface of the rail 1, thus providing; means for supporting; and securing the car on the rail and preventing its shitting sideways or twisting thereon. Each of these upright supporting brackets 6 is provided with horizontal connections above and below the rail on one side forming a rigid frame work supporting the two spaced apart wheels as shown best in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Suspended from the support 6 is the carriage 12, it being here noted that the car track and the frame work or" the vehicle may be any shape or structure desired providing a suspended carriage from the supporting ,ace

wheel supportingthe wheels 5 and 7 in their proper relation to each other for holding the carriage car on the track.

lit is preferred to drive the two wheels with separate motors 9, one for each wheel, so that both of the wheels serve as tract-ion wheels and also preventing any torque on the traclr by reason of pressure in one point more than the other, thus provicing a carriag'e structure of this class which is applicable for use with light structures of Flexible construction as well as rioidiwill be noted that the wheel 0 rolls upon the plain surface track as long; the track is level or approximately so; that when there are inclines in thetrack the tracks are PTO. vided with the teeth members 2 and the rollers then engage the teeth along the oppose; of the track to carry the carriage up the incline, el minating any danger of slipping and su iporting the car rigidly in position and it will he noted that it brakes applied the carriage cannot slip upon the track because the rollers 8 are positioned setween the teeth and prevent slipping; on the track.

e si

In the modified form ct construction as same except that the teeth 2 are only mounted on the outer sides of the rails and the supports 4 extend out on the inside between the rail. in this case however, the wheels 5 are constructed with flanges only on the inner side and with the rollers on the outer side to he the teetl The rolls 8 and lugs 5 and 5 being on the one ide. The carriage frame in this structure rrom that shown in Figs. 1 in this care the motors mounted between. the trout and rear wheels on each side so that in case of curves the motor on one side may run faster than the one on the other, doing; away with any neeessity for a differential and preventing the necessity of the wheels slipping on the track on curves, even though they be on inclined surfaces and the motors running in reverse directions on opposite sides reducing the torque on. the tracks, an advantage on light flexible tracks.

In the modified shown in h 8 oi? the drawings the tracks are positioned on ties and where the track is inclined it provided on its outer side with t is ttlQLll members 2 and the wheels of the carriage are constructed similar to those oi: with small flange from the inner and side with large on the outer side provided with rollers 8 as hereinbefore described. ln this case he motor is mounted on the axle and operates both of the wheels 5.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arterm of construction range'ment of parts and port-ions and certain modificationsthereof, I donot wish to'loe limlted to this particular constructionjnor' to the modifications thereof, but "desire to include n the purview ofniy invention the construction, combination and arrangei'nent substantially as set forth in the ap'pended' lugs on the teeth reduce to a minimum the friction between the wheel and the gear members; that the particular construction of carriage wheel provides means for rolling on a plain surface or on the teeth secured on the sides of the rail, thus providing a carriage which is practically operable on level,

orrinclined surfaces or either, as desired; that there is provlded means for securely supporting the carriage in position on the rail, be it single or double; that there is pro-' vided means by the use of motors in connection with the separate wheel structures for providing additional traction as well as preventing torque on the rail structure.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. A railway apparatus of the class described, including an inclined railway rail, a plurality of laterally extending lugs secured to the web of said rail and flanged wheels provided with extended lug portions with rollers mounted therein, adapted to engage said laterally extending lugs.

52. A railway apparatus of the class described, including an inclined railway rail,

' a plurality of laterally extending lugs secured to the web of said rails and flanged wheels provided with extended lug portions with rollers mounted therein, adapted to engage said laterally extending lugs and a carriage mounted on said wheels.

8. A railway apparatus of the class described. including an inclined railway rail, a plurality of laterally extending lugs secured to the web of said rail, flanged wheels provided with extended lug portions with rollers mounted thereon, adapted to engage said laterally extended lug portions, 21 carriage mounted on said wheels, and a motor in operative connection with the separate wheels, operating them separately.

4:. In an apparatus of the class described, a railway rail provided with a plurality of separately secured laterally extending gear teeth, forming a gear rack extending upon the sides" of said rail and carriagewheels PIOVlClGClWliZh extended" porti'onsbn' the r flangesadapted toen'ga'ge said teethin gear "rack for pro'vld ng 'tlaCtlOIl for said Q 5. jInI an apparatus of the class described, a 'railw'ayfrail provided with a plurality of se 'iarately secured laterally "extending gear teeth, forming agear rack uponthe'sides of said rail, carriage wheels provided with extended portions on their flanges adapted to engagesaid teeth in the gear rack for pro- 1 viding traction for said wheels and means mounted on sald carriage for separately pro.

pelling said wheels. 7 g Y 6. In an apparatus of'the class described, a railway rail provided with lateral extending gear teeth, forming a gear rack upon the sides of said rail, carriage wheels' provided with extended portions on their flanges adapted to engage said teeth in the gear rack for providing traction for said wheels, means mounted on said carriage for separately pro wheelsprovided with a circular face adaptedw to ride on the upper surface of said. rail and with flanges providedwith an extended portion adapted to engage the sides of said teeth for providing traction for said wheels on said track.

8. An inclined railway apparatus includ-' ing a rail provided with laterally extendedteeth secured to the web of said rail and carriage wheels provided with a circular face adapted to ride on the upper surface of said rail and with flanges provided with an extended portion adapted to engage the sides of said teeth for providingtraction for said wheels on said track and rollers mounted on friction between said extended portions and said teeth with the movement'of said wheels I wheels on said track, rollers mounted on said extended portion adapted to reduce the friction between said extended portions and said teeth with the movement of said wheels on said rails, and means for separatelypropelling each of said wheels. I

'10. An inclined railway apparatus including a rail provided with laterally extended teeth secured to the Web of said rail, carriage Wheels provided With a circular face adapted to ride on the upper surface of said rail and with flanges provided With an extended portion adapted to engage the sides of said teeth for providing traction for said Wheels on said track, rollers mounted on said extended portion adapted to reduce the riction between said extended portions and said teeth With the movement of said Wheels on 10 my hand at San Diego California, this 15th 15 day of June, 1921.

FREDRICK P. SCHOBERLE. 

